Under Pressure
by holygeorge86
Summary: Ava Bombay thought joining the District 5 hockey team was a good idea, then they win the championship and go to the junior Goodwill Games and she meets Dean Portman and everything changes. *Repost*
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I originally had this up but then I changed my mind and took it down. I am hoping to make it through all three movies and through sophomore year

Chapter 1: Introduction

Ava Bombay sighed as she placed her school bag down on the floor behind the counter of Hans skate shop. She had just returned from school and was miserable. At 11 years old she was a loner and she almost liked it that way. If she didn't have friends they didn't question why she lived with two elder men who weren't related to her. "Hey Hans I am back." Ava said poking her head in the skate sharpening part of the shop. "How was school?" "Fine. Learned tons." She shrugged. "No friends?" "Hans we talked about this. I don't need friends I am." "Fine. I know. Just think about it." She nodded her head and went back to the front of the room. Her blue eyes found the frame of the newspaper clipping about her father and his peewee hockey team. She shook her head and looked down at her torn fingernails. "Don't go down that road Ava." She muttered to herself. She had questioned herself about why her father left her with his adoptive fathers to go attend law school. Not that she could blame him. He was barely out of high school when she was born. He left her with the two men he trusted the most in the world. Hans and Jan.

"Hans! I will be back!" Ava called back to her guardian later the next afternoon. "Okay." He called back, he had been on her about making friends again. He didn't want her to be alone and sad all the time. The bell rang over the door signaling she had left the building and he smiled to himself.

"Hey isn't that girl in our history class?" Jesse Hall asked seeing the lonely girl walking down the street slouched down into her coat, a freshly sharpened pair of skates over her shoulder. "It is." Peter answered, "she is an odd one. She doesn't have any friends." "You wouldn't either if you didn't have us." Terry, Jesse's younger brother shot back. Peter rolled his eyes and went to retort when Charlie Conway's voice called out. "Hey you!" Ava paused and looked over her shoulder at the group of boys. "Me?" "Yeah you." Jesse said, "you go to school with us right?" "Yeah I do." "What's your name?" Charlie asked. "Ava. Ava Bombay." "Why don't you come to the pond with us?" Karp asked. She looked thoughtful for a second before nodding her head. The boys caught up with her. "Do you play hockey?" Charlie asked. "Nope, not a fan of hockey." She answered. "You live in Minneapolis and you aren't a fan of hockey? Are you from Mars?" Charlie asked. "No. Umm my dad played it and I guess it just skipped over me." She answered, "but skating I do like."

"You're Ava right? I am Connie." Connie Moreau said. "We have history and gym together right?" Ava asked. "Right. You gonna hang out with us?" "For a while yeah." She answered. She felt almost at ease around her. "We need more girls around, I hope you will stick around." "We will see." She said.

A limo appeared a while later and her father stepped out of the limo. She went over to the snow bank and undid her skates and yanked her shoes back on. Her father's bright blue eyes meet hers and the breath rushed out of her body. She quickly slipped away and went back to the skate shop. Hans was sitting in his armchair when she came in. "Did you have fun?" He asked. "Yeah until Gordon showed up." She answered going over to the couch and laying down on it. "Gordon?" She nodded her head and put her arm over her eyes. "I left him before he could say anything to me." Hans nodded his head, he was just going to have to matters into his own hands.

Gordon let himself into the backdoor of the skate shop and paused seeing his daughter sitting at the table writing on her notebook. 'Ava." He started. "Gordon." She returned not raising her eyes to look at him. "You doing good in school?" "Good enough.' "Any friends?" "No, i was only at the pond because Charlie asked me to go with them." He nodded his head, he was glad she hadn't been there when he said that he hated kids, she already thought that he hated her. He knew he had to be a father he owed that to her. "Ava, time to go to bed.' "Yes Hans." She said putting her notebook inside of her textbook and closing it. 'Gordon." She pressed a kiss to the older man's cheek before disappearing through the door and going into the hallway.

"How's she doing?" Gordon asked shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "She is a pre-teen girl that doesn't have any friends. What do you think Gordon?" Hans asked, "She told Jan that she thought that you didn't want her." 'I do want her." "Then act like a father, act like the father we both know you can be."

–

Ava leaned against the wall by the kitchen door holding her books to her chest. Hans had spoken the truth, he had known all along she had felt. And he never brought it up. He just wanted her to be happy even with living a bunch of old men.

And she wanted to be happy, really, she did. But she had been stuck for long, she didn't know if she could start fresh and make friends. Biting her lip Ava turned around and went into her small bedroom and sat down on the bed. Her time at the pond was going through her head. All of the district 5 hockey team had been friendly enough. Even Peter, the boy she had mused to be a jerk after being in a biology class with him.

Maybe for Hans and herself she would try and make friends with them. What was the worst that could happen with making friends?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Icy Start

Ava followed Hans into the indoor hockey rink where the District 5 hockey team was playing at and shook her head. "Why am I here again?" She asked. "You said you wanted to see your new friends play and see your father." "Don't call him that Hans, he isn't my father. He left me with you to get his career kicked off plain and simple." She said sitting down on the bench and folding her arms under her chest. Hans shook his head and sat down next to her if she was this moody now,her teenage years should be a riot.

Connie looked up from her spot on the ice and smiled seeing Ava sitting there. She had hoped she would start coming around more. As much as she liked being the only girl on a team full of guys , it was almost too much. It would be nice to have another girl around.

Guy skated over to her and followed her gaze. "She actually came. I didn't think she would show. Especially after she just up and left so quickly yesterday." "Coach's last name is Bombay right?" Connie asked. Guy nodded his head, "Isn't Ava's last name Bombay too?" "It is. Do you think that coach is her father or something?" Connie asked looking at Ava then at their coach that was scowling. They could see the family resemblance between the two and that was their guess. But the question that remained was why did Ava leave so quickly and who was the older man that she was with. The whistle blew causing their conversation to stop.

Ava leaned forward and propped her elbows on her kneecaps watching the game and her father who kept getting more and more frustrated. "Was he always like this?" She asked glancing at Hans who was shaking his head slightly. "No. He wasn't always like this." He answered glancing at her. "I don't think that I could be on his team. The yelling is no good." She said shaking her head before feeling eyes on her, she twisted in her seat and looked at the boy who had been staring at her. She offered him a shy smile before looking back at the disaster of game.

Coach Riley of the Blackhawks who glanced at Gordon who was grumbling after his team's loss then up to the stands that were clearing out. His granddaughter whom he hadn't been able to see growing up was leaving with an older man that he had see around Gordon when he was younger.

He knew that his daughter gave up her rights to her not wanting to be a mom so young and it feel on Gordon to decide if he wanted to be a father. And the last he had heard that he had tried until he got into law school and Ava was left with someone. He wanted to know his granddaughter and see what kind of girl she was. He just had to get into contact with her and Gordon.

"Hey Ava." Connie greeted coming over to her. "Hey Connie. I would say good game but that was brutal." Ava said zipping up her coat. "It was. What happened to you yesterday. You were there and then we turned around and you were gone." "Um, Coach Bombay is my father, we don't have the best relationship. In fact I haven't seen him in years." Ava answered, "I panicked and went home."

Connie nodded her head as the rest of the team piled out of the locker room. "Oh great she came and watched us get murdered." Peter said causing Ava to laugh. "Oh Peter it wasn't that bad." "Yes it was and Coach was awful." Jesse said. "Jesse." Connie started, "Ava is Coach's daughter." "I am, don't hold that against." Ava said holding her hands up. "I am nothing like him." "Then why won't you play hockey?" Karp asked. "Because I don't want too. I skate but that's about it." 'She would be a natural." Coach Riley said coming up to the group. "Do I know you?" She asked. "I know your father Gordon."

Charlie who had been standing behind her moved to where he was standing partially in front of her. Even though they just started becoming friends, he wanted to protect her from the coach that came up to them especially after she said she didn't know him.

"Good for you?" Ava offered up lamely. "I am also your grandfather. "What?" "Your mother is my daughter." "I don't believe you." "It's true." "Ava. Come on, Jan is waiting." Hans called waving her own to him. "Coming Hans.' She said before turning to the team. "I will see you at school on Monday."

Ava was quiet while Hans drove them back to the skate shop. Her mind was racing, she hadn't thought of having a grandfather. Hans and Jan were close enough to being her grandfathers that she didn't care. She knew from the start that her mom didn't want her, Jan told her as much. Gordon at first wanted her then things changed. She just didn't want to get her hopes about having a family and then it being crushed. It just wasn't worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Friends

Monday morning had arrived and Ava was dropped off at school by Jan who had made her breakfast before taking her to school. "Hey Jan?" She asked. 'Yes?" 'Did you know my mom?" The older man turned to look at her and sighed, he knew one of these days she would come asking about her mother. "I did know your mother."

"Why didn't she want me?" "We didn't get an exact reason. Gordon showed up with you one night and that's all we knew.' "And is Coach Riley really my grandfather?" "You will have to ask Gordon about that." The young girl pulled a face, "Do I have too?" "Yes, you have to get use to him being around. He is your father." Before she could reply a tap on the window came. She turned and saw Connie there, she waved her hand, "I will see you later Jan." He nodded his head watching her get out of the car and greet Connie who threw her arms around her neck in a hug.

"How are you doing after Saturday?" Connie asked as the two girls walked up the walkway to the school. "I am okay, I think. I mean I went my entire life thinking that I didn't have a family other than Hans and Jan. And then come to find out I have an actual full family that I didn't know about?" "I would be kind of confused too." Connie admitted. "And what about Coach?" "I don't know Connie, I really don't." Ava answered softly, "He left me. If he wants a relationship then he will have to reach out to me."

The taller girl nodded her head as Guy joined them. He smiled seeing the blonde girl standing with his girlfriend, he along with most of the boys of the team hoped that she would stay around for a lot longer. Especially after finding out that their coach was her father. Peter hoped that if she was around Coach would relax a little bit but Guy was under the impression that he and Ava didn't have any sort of relationship to speak of. And he just wanted her around to be her friend. Something that she desperately needed. Though he would never say that out loud to anyone. He already got enough crap from the others. He didn't need anymore.

"Come on Peter, relax." Ava said sitting against her desk. "The game was really wasn't that bad." Peter rolled his eyes, "You don't know anything. You aren't a hockey fan." "You are right I am not. But you win games and you lose them. It's not that big of deal. But you overreacting is making it a big deal. "

"She is right Peter." Karp said with a laugh. The smaller boy looked flustered as he looked at the blonde who laughed, "What? You don't like the fact that I can dish it out and you can't take it?" "No. You just don't get it." "Oh honey. " She exchanged a look with Connie who laughed.

This was just too good.

"Ms Bombay!" The principal said stepping into the hallway. "Whatever it is I didn't do it!' Ava exclaimed quickly holding her hands up. "Your father is here to check you out." The woman said. Ava shot Connie a confused look before nodding her head. "Okay, I guess I will see you later." "Have fun Ava." Connie grinned before pushing her towards the office door and where her father was standing. She wanted nothing more for this to work out. She wanted her to have that family unit that she had. And by trying to push them together she was doing that.

"Ava." Gordon started. "Hi." She offered up lamely shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "I thought you and i could spend some time together.' "Okay. Could you tell me why I didn't know that Coach Riley was my grandfather?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Too Much

Gordon rubbed the back of his neck at her question, he didn't know what to say. "There has to be a reason why you didn't tell. What is it?" Ava asked. He sighed and motioned for her to leave the office, he didn't want to discuss it in front of everyone in the office. It was the last thing that he wanted to do was discuss what happened in front of everyone at her school. "It was complicated Ava.'

"Complicated my ass." She snapped, "He came up to me after the game and told me that I was his granddaughter. Of the 4 times you visited me when I was younger you could have told me about my mother and her family and not just leave me with Hans and Jan when you were done."

"Ava." He started again as he yanked open the back door to the limo. "Gordon.' She returned sliding into the backseat of the car, her father followed her. "I wish you wouldn't call me that.'

"Why? It's your name. Why should I call you dad when you haven't been around long enough to be your father." "And I want to try and change that." "Because I am becoming friend with the kids on your hockey team?" "Not just that, Ducksworth made a comment that I need to get to know you." "Because your boss _said _something. You are going to do it."

"Let me ask you this. Did you even really want me or did you keep me because that's what your dad would've wanted."

Gordon glanced up and meet his driver's eyes and the driver gave him a look. He could already see the similarities between the duo and he wanted to see where this was going to go.

"At first I did want you Ava. Other than hockey you were the one thing that made sense. But then your mother left and I was struggling to raise you on my own. My ambition to be a lawyer and make something of myself took over and I realized I couldn't raise you and do that. So Hans and Jan offered to help out and raise you. And then I got so caught up in that. That I forgot about you."

Sudden tears rose up in Ava's eyes and she looked out of the window quickly. She didn't want to cry in front of him. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Gordon reached his hand out and covered her hand. "Ava. I didn't mean to forget about you. I am back now and I want to be involved in your life." Ava sniffed back a few tears and nodded her head.

"Okay." "Now about Coach Riley." He said. "He is your grandfather and I didn't think it would be good for you to be around. He is too intense on kids." "I saw that at the hockey game. Is that how you meet my mom?" "It is. Coach Riley kind of took me in after my dad died. And when we got older we got together and then things happen." "I don't need to know about that yet." She said holding her hands up, her cheeks turning pink. "We don't get that until our freshman year and even then I don't know if I am ready for it."

Gordon breathed a sigh of relief, he was glad that his daughter wouldn't be interested in sex for a long time. "Do I have to get to know Coach Riley?" "No, you don't have too. But I would like for you to come to practices more often." "I don't play hockey." "I know but it's a way for us to spend time together." "Okay, I can try and come. Hans wants to go to the games too."

"Good." Gordon smiled, as much as he wanted to run away from hockey and stay how he was, he was finding himself wanting to have a relationship with Ava and be there for like Coach Riley, Hans and Jan were for him.

She deserved at least that.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Take The Fall. That Hurt.

The first game after Gordon taught the Ducks to cheat had been awful right from the start. "What the hell is that?" She asked, 'Are they doing that on purpose?" "I think so.' Fulton Reed said from where he was sitting behind her. Ava twisted around to look at him, "Fulton right?" He nodded his head once. "I am Ava." "I know, we have some classes together." She looked at him surprised, she had never heard him talk more than a few words and those were usually directed at their teachers. "You shot hockey pucks in the alley by the skate shop." Ava commented. "You spying on me?" "No, I just walk that way to get to and from school. I just noticed was all. Why don't you play?" He shrugged his shoulders, he didn't trust her enough to tell her why he didn't just yet, "Why don't you?" "I don't want too. I would rather skate. My dad is the coach. I associate hockey with him. I don't like him very much and in turn.' "You don't like hockey.' She touched her nose and looked back at the ice. "Such a train wreck."

Fulton laughed and nodded his head in agreement. They hadn't progressed much in improving in fact, they had gotten worse and he didn't think that was possible.

But it was.

3 days later

Ava was sitting at the counter at the skate shop flipping through a magazine listening to Hans talk about to one of the customers that had just came into the store. "You know you should listen to me when I talk Ava. " "I was listening to you Hans." "What was I just saying?" Her cheeks turned pink as she turned to look at him. "That's what I thought." The older man laughed before ruffling her hair affectionately. The door to the shop trinkled open as Gordon and the District 5 team came into the building. Ava slid off the stool and lifted up the section of counter that could be lifted up and stepped through it. "Hey Aves." Charlie greeted seeing her. "Hey Charlie, guys. What can I help you with?" She asked shoving her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie. "They need new gear. Ducksworth is paying for it." Her father answered over Charlie's head. Ava raised her eyebrow before she nodded her head. "Well have at it." Hans caught her eye and offered her a smile before she went into the back room and grabbed some bags for the gear that her friends were getting.

"You should come play with us." Gordon watching his daughter put some of the gear in the bags. "I don't play hockey Gordon." "It wouldn't hurt you to try." "Why do you care all of sudden?" Ava asked putting her hands on her hips, "You haven't been around much and yet you started coaching the hockey team and you want to be involved. No, no way." She said shaking her head. "Ava." Hans said from behind her, "Give him a chance. Give the team a chance."

Ava huffed and folded her arms across her chest and looked at her friends who looked like they were having the time of their lives. "Fine, I will try it but if I don't like it and I want to quit Gordon you let me quit no questions asked." "Deal." He said holding his hand out to her. She grasped it and dropped it quickly before going over to the hockey sticks that Charlie had knocked over. "What a klutz." She muttered as she bent down to pick up the sticks. "What did Coach want?" Charlie asked from behind her.

He couldn't help himself, not only was he was nosey but a little jealous, Gordon hadn't really spent one on one time like with him again since the night he came to apologize for being a jerk. "He wants me to join the team." She answered with a shrug. "That's awesome! Are you?" "I am going to try it but if I don't like it, he is going to let me quit no questions asked. And I am expecting the same thing from you Charlie." "Me? Why me?" "Because you want to be like Gordon. And you want to have everyone _love _hockey. If I want to leave the team you have to let me." "Fine." He said holding his hands up grinning. "Look I know this is a lot for you to take in. Having Coach back in your life and now this but once you are friends with us and on the team. I will always be here for you. Promise."

Ava blinked her eyes several times before she nodded her head. "Hey guys! Ava is joining the team!"


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6: Bad Idea

"I can't believe I got myself talked into this." Ava muttered to herself as she sat down on the bench tightening her skates. Today was her first hockey practice and she didn't know if she wanted to go through it. "It will be fun Aves." Connie said as she stood in front of the wall that seperated the bench from the ice. "Says you. You are the velvet hammer. Me? What am I?" Ava asked with a sigh. "We will come up with something, don't worry." Guy grinned as he joined Ava and Connie.

The blonde shook her head and opened up the gate to go out onto the ice, this was a bad idea, usually she was okay with skate. She was good even but putting a stick in her hand and having her try to hit a small black block was a hugely bad idea. Even if she did end up making friends.

It was still a bad idea.

"I am going to be even worse than Charlie." She said as Averman pulled her back to her feet a few seconds later after he collided with her. "Nah, no one is as bad as Spazway." He said causing her to laugh, "That's true. No one is as bad as Charlie." "Did I hear someone say my name?" Charlie asked coming to a stop inches from the duo. "Yes. we were just talking about how bad this idea of me being a hockey player is." "It's not a bad idea Ava." He started pushing his helmet back on his head to look at her better.

"It is, I am okay with skating, but this." She moved the stick around, 'is a really bad idea.' "Don't say that. This is going to be fun." He grinned before skating backwards away from her and Averman. "Just have faith Ava." "Yeah Aves, have faith." Averman teased as he started moving away from her. "I have faith." She muttered, "faith that I am going to fall and break my butt. "

3 hours later

Gordon watched his daughter in the rearview mirror of the van, she and Charlie was sitting next to other on the bench and shook his head. In the few short days that she had been involved with the team, she had made leaps and bounds in her personality. It was refreshing to see even Hans and Jan made comments about it when he picked her up that day for hockey practice. He knew that he should have been involved in her life long before this, Ducksworth had made comments about it when he saw the small silver frame sitting on his desk.

"_Family is important Gordon. Build a relationship with your daughter. One day she is all you will have left."_

And he didn't want to admit how many times that comment played through his head and how many times he picked up his work phone and started dialing the skate shop to check in on her.

But he couldn't, it was a bad idea to get involved. He wasn't meant to be a father, he could barely take care of himself.

His DUI's were proof of that.

So he had taken the cowardly way out. And he hated himself for it.

He thought taking over the hockey team was a bad idea until he remembered how much he loved hockey and how much fun it was. But now he knew better. Seeing Ava with Charlie and the rest of the team made him want to try and be a father and maybe even give Ava a mother. And maybe even a sibling. But now he wanted to try. Try to be a father and give her the life she deserved it.

A family is what they both needed, even if it was a roundabout way to get to it.


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7: Because I Can't

"You don't have to do this Gordon.' Ava said the next afternoon standing in the doorway of the guest bedroom in his apartment. "I am totally fine at the skate shop." "I want to do this Ava. I want us to try and be a family."

"I don't know Dad." She started looking at him, "I don't want to move in and then boom you change your mind."

"I am not going to do that. I want us to be a family." He was surprised about how easy she called him dad.

"Does this have anything to do with Charlie?"

Gordon was silent for several minutes, he knew part of him. A very small part, wished that Ava had been a boy. It would be easier to raise a boy, they were more upfront about things compared to holding them in like girls did. "No Ava, it's not. Being around you and the team the last couple of days made me think. We need to be a family."

Ava sighed and chewed on the inside of her lips, she knew that he was right, Connie and Guy had commented that she should give her father a change and she knew they were right. But she was scared and scared that she was going to get hurt again.

But what was the point of living in fear. Being friends with the team was starting to show her that.

"Okay we will give it a try."

"Are you serious?" Ava asked raising her eyebrow at her father several days later, he had gathered the team along with Fulton Reed in front of the entrance of the Mall of America. "I am very serious Ava." Gordon grinned holding out her roller blades to her.

"Won't we like get arrested or something?" She questioned again while Connie and Tammy stood on either side of her nodding their heads. "Or is that more your speed." Her teammates coughed and went silent looking between father and daughter waiting for Gordon to start yelling.

"Hans just had to tell you why I had to do the community service?" "Yep." Ava giggled, her smile bright. "I am going to have a talk with him about telling you things that you don't need to know." Ava laughed, "And it was Jan that told me not Hans." Gordon rolled his eyes and turned to Fulton who was looking more and more anxious.

"I am surprised that he didn't yell." Tammy muttered, her father would have and she would have yelled back and it would have been bad. "We don't have a stereotypical relationship. This is actually the most I have seen him since I was like 4." Ava returned sitting down on the curb to pull her skates on, "We are trying, I am moved in with him."

"That's all you can do." Connie agreed, "But I am glad you two are here now so I am not the only girl that is around." "You are kind of stuck with me now Cons." Ava muttered, she still felt a little uncomfortable around Tammy but she would get use to her like she did with everyone else.

Tightening her skates she stood up and glided over to Fulton, "You sure you want to do this? We are kind of crazy." 'Yeah, I am sure." He muttered looking down at her, his mouth wanting to twitch and form a smile. Something that he rarely did. He didn't want to be seen as weak or happy.

That was something that had been beat into his head since he could remember and he didn't want to start now. Especially with a new friend, he didn't want to scare her off.

"I can't believe we are doing this." Averman said to Ava as Gordon and his driver pulled open the doors to the mall. "I can. It's my dad, he likes to do things for shock and awe and this is definitely shocking." She returned before patting his shoulder, "Relax Averman, this is going to be fun."

The redhead boy frowned, he was starting not to like when she said that. She said to him the day before and he ended up with cartons of milk being spilled on him.

It was like all of a sudden she had a devious side. And he blamed them for it.


End file.
